The current Wheelock Academy campus was constructed in 1884 following a fire that destroyed the original campus shortly after the Civil War.
Before the fire, Wheelock was a small “day school” established by Reverend Alfred Wright around 1832–1833. In 1884, Choctaw national leaders rebuilt the institution a few hundred yards northeast of the original mission station, school, and church. Pushmataha Hall was constructed that year, and the Choctaw orphanage officially opened in September.
For the next seventy years, Wheelock Academy served as a center of learning for Choctaw girls and young women. The U.S. government assumed jurisdiction over the school in 1910, taking complete control and funding responsibilities by 1932. The Academy ceased operations in 1955, after which the site remained largely abandoned until it was eventually returned to the Choctaw Nation.
Although Wheelock Academy served as a model for educational institutions operated by the Five Civilized Tribes and was pivotal in advancing Indigenous education in Indian Territory, its history is complex and often difficult, reflecting the broader legacy of Native American boarding schools. Recognizing its historical and cultural importance, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior designated the site a National Historic Landmark. Today, several remaining structures and an on-site museum help preserve and interpret the school’s legacy and the Choctaw Nation’s commitment to education.
The Choctaw Nation Brownfields Program has conducted environmental assessments and will address contaminants associated with pre-1978 building materials in preparation for this important cultural site’s potential reuse or preservation.